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WPR25LA151

2025-05-05 · Port of Del Bonita, Montana, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport H28

Current FAA registration · N108RM

Make / Model
STINSON 108-3
Year of manufacture
1948 · 77 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19861024
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A023EF

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s loss of directional control while landing in gusting wind conditions.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that prior to landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane, he obtained the current weather at his destination airport, where the wind was reported as calm. During the landing, after touchdown, he felt a large wind gust push the airplane to the left. The airplane then veered left and departed the runway through a barbed wired fence, which resulted in substantial damage to the right elevator and fuselage. The pilot confirmed that the right side rudder steering arm separated during the accident sequence. The pilot reported no other preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal operation. At about the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 25, with the wind from 360° at 22 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Ability to respond/compensate
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on operation
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Attain/maintain not possible

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2025_WPR25LA151.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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